This invention relates to a dry mix for the preparation of gravies and sauces. More particularly, the invention relates to a dry mix which may be added directly to boiling water to form a gravy or sauce substantially free of lumps.
Dry mix compositions, which typically contain a thickening agent such as starch or flour, together with flavoring and coloring agents, are widely used today to prepare gravies and sauces. In preparing a gravy or sauce from such a mix, the dry mix is dispersed in cold water and the dispersion gradually heated to boiling with constant agitation to gelatinize the starch and thereby thicken the liquid to the desired extent. This procedure must be carried out with care in order to avoid the formation of lumps in the thickened product. Thus, if the mix is not stirred vigorously during heating or if the dispersion is heated too rapidly, lumps are formed in the gravy or sauce, due to the gelatinization of starch on the outer surface of agglomerates of starch particles, which prevents absorption of water and gelatinization of starch particles within the agglomerates. This results in a gravy or sauce containing a number of lumps of substantial size composed of dry flour on the inside surrounded by a gelatinized starch coating. These lumps cannot be dispersed even with vigorous and extended stirring, and must be removed, usually by straining, before the gravy or sauce is used. Such lumps of ungelatinized, dry starch particles are also formed when attempts are made to form a gravy or sauce by adding a conventional dry mix composition directly to hot water.
A number of procedures have been suggested heretofore in order to avoid the formation of lumps in the preparation of gravies and sauces using a dry mix composition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,431 discloses the use of a dry mix for preparing gravies and sauces comprising (a) starch or flour, (b) a separating component selected from the group consisting of shortening, non-fat milk solids, and whey solids, and (c) an alkaline leavening agent such as sodium acid pyrophosphate or dicalcium phosphate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,306 discloses the addition of gelatin or other hydrophillic colloid (such as guar gum, gum agar, and the like) to a dry, starch-containing gravy mix. British Patent Application No. 2,026,837 A discloses a dry gravy mix in which the thickening agent consists of a heat-moisture-treated potato starch having retarded thickening properties. However, such prior proposals significantly increase the cost of the dry mix and make it economically unattractive to many consumers.